Safer school run for Costessey pupils

Traffic problems outside a Norwich junior school will be solved after safety concerns were raised by the police and local councillors. Costessey Junior School will soon have restrictions on waiting at any time introduced in its surrounding roads.

Traffic problems outside a Norwich junior school will be solved after safety concerns were raised by the police and local councillors.

Costessey Junior School will soon have restrictions on waiting at any time introduced in its surrounding roads - Three Mile Jane, Upper Breckland Road and Upper Stafford Avenue, in a bid to make the area safer for schoolchildren.

The move, which has been approved by the police, the highways authority, Costessey Parish Council and the school, had been suggested by councillor Tim East.

He said: “I asked for this because of the particular problems associated with parental parking at drop off and pick up times which had the effect of constricting the carriage way so that no vehicle could pass up or down Three Mile Lane.

“It formed an impassable and impenetrable narrow tunnel when the school buses were parked there and parents' cars on the other side of the road. The junctions will be yellow lined as there will be no parking areas for obvious reasons.”

A letter sent to Costessey Parish Council by the county council's Planning and Transportation Department said that safety would be “significantly improved” in the area as a result of the waiting restrictions, and added: “Parking in close proximity to junctions results in difficulty negotiating the junctions, particularly at school times, which can result in safety issues for both vehicles and pedestrians.”

The issue of parking outside the school was raised as a priority by members of the public who attended the Costessey Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel meeting in November 2009, as there were complaints as the road was becoming impassable at school times.

Inspector Rob Wicks from Bowthorpe and Costessey Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) said: “We're delighted a positive outcome has occurred as a result of this issue being raised by the local community.

“This will have a great impact on the safety of young people attending the school and will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in problems with parking in the vicinity of the school. We would encourage more people to walk to their children to school in the area to lower the traffic congestion.

“The residents are our eyes and ears in the community, so if anyone sees motorists flouting the new restrictions we would like to hear from them.”